Transformation
by Ultra Rodimus
Summary: COMPLETE! In battle against the Decepticons on an alien world, Rodimus Prime is fatally wounded. Will the Autobots lose their new leader, or will a miracle occur? Read and find out! All stories now accepting anonymous reviews!
1. Scent of Danger

Author's Note: This is a slightly rewritten version of this fic. It is first in a series, as I'm sure anyone who's visited my author profile has noticed.

I've been asked by various readers (and you know who you are) where Ultra Rodimus came from. This fic is the answer to that question.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Transformers. Hasbro owns the Transformers. I'm just borrowing them, and will return them to their own universe in short order. The character of Ultra Rodimus _does _belong to me. So keep your paws off.

**Transformation**

**Chapter 1: Scent of Danger**

Rodimus Prime stood on the balcony of his office, looking out over the ruined landscape of Cybertron. As far as he could see, efforts were underway to clean up and try to repair the damage caused by Unicron's attack. Entire cities had been flattened. The planet itself had suffered terrible wounds, deep craters in its metal surface from Unicron's hands and feet and weapons. It would take many years, possibly even decades, to clean up and/or repair the damage that had been done.

Behind him, the door hissed open. Someone approached him. He knew without turning around that it was Ultra Magnus, his second-in-command. No one else sounded like that when they walked.

"Yes?" Rodimus asked.

"How did you know it was me?" Magnus asked.

"I recognized your footsteps," Rodimus replied as Magnus joined him on the balcony. He turned to look up at the city commander. "So, what have you got?"

"The latest reports on the extent of the damage." Magnus waved the datapad he held. "It's bad."

"How bad?"

"Very. The worst damage is just north of here, but the southern regions took more punishment. It's more spread out, though. It's the most dangerous area. In some places the surface looks undamaged, but when you walk on it it gives way beneath you. Or it simply collapses without warning. The holes that form can be very deep."

Rodimus tilted his head. "How deep is very deep?"

"Let me put it this way. We now know that the exact core of Cybertron is an asteroid. One of the holes is so deep we can see the asteroid itself."

Rodimus winced. "That is deep."

"Like I said."

"Any estimates on how long the repairs could take?" Rodimus pushed away from the balcony railing, walking over to his desk and sitting down. Magnus moved to stand in front of him.

"Estimates run from several years to over a century. The damage is that extensive."

The new Prime sighed. "We're low on resources and energon, and I know that the Decepticons are still out there somewhere. We haven't seen the last of them. They'll be back."

Magnus placed the pad on the desk, next to a stack of other pads, the dreaded paperwork that, unfortunately, came with being the Autobot leader. "Here are the reports."

"Thank you." Rodimus picked it up and began to read. Magnus watched for a moment, then walked out of the office, returning to his task of coordinating the cleanup and repair work.

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Elsewhere in the galaxy...

Cyclonus circled around and made another pass over the lava pools, looking for any signs of his missing leader. Nearby, Scourge was doing the same thing.

"I don't see anything," Dirge complained. "Are you sure he's here?"

"Be silent and keep looking," Cyclonus snapped.

"Translation: no," Ramjet grumbled. Dirge grunted.

The Decepticons had been searching every planet they'd come across for any sign of Galvatron. So far, they'd found nothing. There wasn't a trace of Galvatron anywhere. They were beginning to tire of the constant search. Many of them were grumbling about how Cyclonus was driving them.

"I think I've got something!" Blitzwing yelled.

The other Decepticons converged on his position. Blitzwing was standing on a rocky point near the edge of a large, seething pool of lava. The triple changer pointed.

"I'm reading a large, metallic object down there."

Cyclonus cruised over the spot. His sensors quickly located the large metal object Blitzwing had found, just beneath the surface. The Decepticon second-in-command went into a hover, not an easy feat because of the way his jet mode was built, and dropped a set of cables, slowly gliding forward. When he felt the cables catch on something, he rose higher and headed for the shore, dragging his catch onto the rocks.

Galvatron, deactivated, was caught in the cables. Cyclonus lifted the Decepticon leader to a more stable spot and checked him over.

"He is in need of repairs. Let's get him back to Trypticon."

Galvatron was loaded into Astrotrain for the trip back to the huge Decepticon city. Astrotrain transformed from his locomotive mode to his shuttle mode and lifted off, leaving the planet of lava and bare rock behind. The swarm of Decepticons rose through the atmosphere and vanished into deep space, each one dreaming of when they would again have a leader to take them into battle against the Autobots. And that day would be soon.

**Tbc...**

So, what do you think so far? Send me reviews if you want more story!


	2. The Returning Threat

**Transformation**

**Chapter 2: The Returning Threat**

"...and the buildings in the west sector have to be demolished," Springer concluded in his report.

Rodimus nodded to him, then looked around the briefing room. "Blaster?"

"We've been monitoring radio traffic, but there's no sign of the Decepticons," Blaster reported. "They're gone."

"Hopefully they'll stay gone," Hot Spot snorted. The other gestalt team leaders nodded their agreement.

"They'll be back," Rodimus corrected, steepling his fingers and shooting the Protectobot leader a glare. "They're not gone. Once they've regrouped, they'll be back. Don't count them out just yet."

"Pessimist," Sideswipe muttered.

Blaster glanced at Sideswipe, then nodded to Rodimus. "We'll continue monitoring space and radio traffic. Armed patrols are scouting for any possible hideouts. We'll let you know if we find anything."

Magnus spoke up. 'The Decepticons are probably trying to decide who will be their leader. Once the issue of leadership is resolved, they'll be back. And it may not take too long before that happens."

"We'll be on our guard," the communications specialist assured him. "If they come back, we'll be ready for them."

"I hope so," Rodimus replied. "We have no way of knowing who will be their new leader, or what that leader will be capable of. So we will be unprepared for him."

"We'll do our best."

"I do hope so. Now, what other business is there to attend to?" Rodimus looked around the table.

"Demolitions work in the south sector have stalled due to sudden collapses of the ground under the buildings," Grapple spoke up. "Large sinkholes have dropped entire buildings three and four levels down into the planet's interior. The sinkholes show no signs of spreading, but there is the potential for them to form under other sectors of the city. We're checking for any signs of sinkhole formation, but until we're finished all other work has to be put on hold."

"Let me know what the results are," Rodimus told him. "What about the north and east sectors?"

"The north sectors are the most heavily damaged and potentially the most dangerous. The fliers have been helping lift debris out of the area, but ground workers have not yet begun to enter the sector. There are huge craters scattered throughout the area, and sinkholes may form without warning. We're waiting for the unstable ground to settle before any serious cleanup begins. Once the cleanup is complete, then we'll see about repairs. Looking at the extent of the damage, repairs might not be possible.

"In the east sector, the damage was relatively light, but many of the buildings have been so heavily damaged that they have started to collapse on their own. Ground workers have had their reflexes tested constantly since they started working in that sector. They're working with one optic on their surroundings to keep from being caught if a building comes down on them. Because of the damage in the various sectors, communication is very difficult."

Rodimus nodded. "Has Sky Lynx returned from his surveys yet?"

"He has."

"What does he have to say about the state of the rest of the planet?"

"He recorded damage on the south continent that surpasses anything we've experienced here. And the north pole area has been smashed in, probably when Unicron slammed his hand down on it. Entire sectors of the planet have been devastated. He also discovered hundreds of bodies, mostly Decepticons, who were killed fighting Unicron. They're being collected for burial. Unfortunately, Cyclonus or Scourge wasn't among them. Neither was Galvatron."

"I threw Galvatron out through Unicron's hull, but we never found where he landed. If Cyclonus and Scourge are still alive, then they're probably searching for him. If they find him alive then we have a problem."

"Galvatron nearly succeeded in killing me," Magnus growled. "And he almost killed Hot Rod. He did kill who know how many other Autobots. Rodimus is right. If Galvatron does come back, we have a very big problem."

"We'll begin installing planetary defense systems as soon as possible," Hoist added. "Plans are already on the drawing board for major weaponry to defend the planet from outside attack."

"Get to work on them as soon as possible," Rodimus ordered.

"Will do," Hoist acknowledged.

"Is there any more business to take care of?" Rodimus looked at his command staff. "No? Then, dismissed. We've all got lots of work to do. Let's get to it."

The other Autobots rose from their seats and headed out, discussing their various tasks. The room was quickly emptied.

Rodimus watched the others leave. Then he sensed Magnus standing behind him and turned to face his second-in-command.

"Something on your mind?" Magnus asked.

Rodimus sighed. "I'm worried. Galvatron's alive out there somewhere. Don't ask me how I know; I just do. He'll be back. And soon."

"We'll be ready for him." Magnus patted his leader's shoulder reassuringly and headed for the door. Rodimus smiled and followed.

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Elsewhere in the galaxy...

Charr was a deserted planetoid far from any civilized world, with high winds and frequent dust storms. It had just one tiny moon, which gave its winds extra ferocity. No life-form in its right mind would travel to Charr. It was so far off the usual trade routes that no one wanted to go near it, and its poisonous atmosphere was deadly to almost every form of life in the galaxy.

Which made it perfect for the Decepticons' purposes.

The Decepticons had discovered the deserted planetoid and found that it would make a perfect base of operations for them. Trypticon had landed in a canyon that was naturally sheltered from the fierce winds, and the others had moved in. Not even the Autobots could find them there.

Astrotrain fought against the high winds to reach the giant city, finally flying into the shuttle bay and landing. Galvatron was offloaded and taken to the city's repair bay. Once there, the medics scrambled to get the Decepticon leader operational again.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Scourge muttered to Cyclonus.

"Be silent," Cyclonus growled at him.

Finally, Galvatron was reactivated.

"Unhand me, fools!" Galvatron yelled, shoving the medics away from him. "I will tear the guts out of Rodimus Prime and Ultra Magnus and everyone else who opposes me!"

From there, his tirade dissolved into incoherent raving. Galvatron stalked around the medical bay, frothing at the mouth as his rage made his fluids boil, screeching at the top of his lungs. Cyclonus and Scourge exchanged a horrified look. Their leader had gone insane.

"I did say I had a bad feeling about this," Scourge hissed to his companion. "Somehow 'I told you so' just doesn't seem to cut it."

Galvatron finally spotted them. "Rally the Decepticons! We will strike at Cybertron and destroy the Autobots!"

**Tbc...**

Another chapter down. If you want more, you have to review for them. So click that review button and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!


	3. The Breaking Storm

**Transformation**

**Chapter 3: The Breaking Storm**

The Decepticons had gathered in Trypticon's assembly hall, staring at Galvatron. Scourge had warned them that Galvatron had gone insane, and Cyclonus had told them to go along with whatever he said. If they didn't, there was no telling what he might do. So they had to listen to what Galvatron said whether they liked it or not, or they might be severely punished.

Galvatron paced back and forth in front of the assembled Decepticons, muttering to himself. The Decepticons watched him nervously, shifting their feet and whispering to each other. Cyclonus remained silent, keeping an optic on Galvatron. Scourge was fidgeting nervously.

Finally, Galvatron turned to face the others, his red optics glowing insanely. His voice was shrill with madness.

"We will strike at Cybertron and utterly destroy the Autobots! We will reclaim our rightful world by force!" he bellowed. "We will destroy all who stand in our way! To Cybertron!"

"Hail Galvatron!" the Decepticons yelled, raising their arms. "Hail Galvatron!"

"Decepticons, scramble!"

Galvatron took to the air. The other Decepticons followed close behind. Like a swarm of killer bees they rose in a cloud from Charr's desolate surface, ignoring the howling winds, and flew out into space, heading for Cybertron. Galvatron's insane cackling echoed through Charr's poisonous atmosphere, sending chills down the Decepticons' spines. They had a very bad feeling about this.

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Cybertron:

Rodimus Prime was sitting at his desk, plowing his way through the heaps of paperwork and wondering why his desk hadn't yet collapsed under the weight, when Magnus walked in.

"There's been some activity detected in a remote corner of the sector," Magnus reported. "Blaster isn't sure if it's Decepticons or other beings."

"Tell him to keep monitoring that activity and let me know if he figures out what it is and where it's headed," Rodimus ordered. "I want to know if the Decepticons are moving again."

"Will do." Magnus turned and left.

Rodimus returned to his work, wondering if he should issue a warning of possible enemies approaching. After several minutes of thought, he decided against it and turned back to his reports with an uneasy feeling coiling in his processor. Something was telling him that something terrible was going to happen, and that it would happen soon. He shuddered and tried to concentrate on what he was doing.

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Out in space:

Galvatron cackled to himself as he led his troops into the system where Cybertron was located. The metal planet itself was only a speck in the distance, but it was rapidly increasing in size. He looked forward to crushing the young Prime who had thrown him into a lava pit and who had taken control of Cybertron away from him.

"We have not yet been detected," Soundwave reported as they descended toward Cybertron, heading for where the half-ruined, battle-scarred city-state of Iacon was located.

"Excellent," Galvatron responded, his mad optics aglow with eagerness. He wanted blood.

"Iacon is in sight!" Scourge announced, pointing as the crumbling city rose into view over the horizon.

"Decepticons, attack!"

The Decepticons spread out into a battle line and opened fire on the unsuspecting city ahead. They heard battle sirens begin to scream, and then Autobots began pouring out of the fortress-like complex at Iacon's core and returning fire.

It was total chaos.

The Autobots had been taken by surprise. They had been unprepared for battle. When the sirens had gone off, they had hesitated for a moment, standing frozen in confusion until Rodimus had called them to fight. They had dropped what they were doing, grabbed their weapons, and flooded outside. The Decepticons closed in quickly. Laser fire began to crackle across the distance between the two armies as the counterattack began.

Rodimus was somewhere in the middle of the chaos, shouting orders. Magnus had fought his way to his Prime's side and was covering him while he tried to sort out the general turmoil into something more organized. The Autobots were listening to him and were gradually straightening themselves out, getting into better positions and taking more accurate shots at their enemies. Then Rodimus spotted the familiar, hated purple form.

"It's Galvatron!" Rodimus yelled. "He's back!" A quick glance around located Sideswipe. "Hey, Sides! Hate to say I told you so, but I told you so!"

"Shut up and fight!" Sideswipe yelled back.

His brother Sunstreaker took aim at Motormaster and peppered the Stunticon leader with laser fire. He wanted to take out Motormaster to eliminate Menasor from the fighting. Other Autobots noticed what he was doing and followed his example, concentrating their fire on the combiner teams. Scavenger and Onslaught were damaged badly enough to prevent their repective teams from forming their gestalts, but most of the other team leaders took far less damage. Unfortunately, the other members of their teams did not fare so well. Of all the teams, only two, the Seacons and the Stunticons, managed to combine. Fortunately, the Autobots had three gestalts of their own. Superion, Defensor, and Computron combined to take on Menasor and Piranacon, leaving the other Autobots to handle the regular Decepticons.

"Rumble, Frenzy, Ravage, Ratbat, eject!" Soundwave intoned as he pressed the button on his shoulder, opening his tape compartment. "Operation: warfare!"

The first cassette out was the purple and silver Rumble, with his red and black brother, Frenzy, right after him. Next out was a black and grey tape, transforming into a black jaguar before it reached the ground. Ravage snarled and raced into battle as the fourth cassette, the red and black bat named Ratbat, took to the skies.

"Oh no you don't!" Blaster opened his own tape comparment. "Come on out, boys!"

His own four cassettes, Eject, Rewind, Steeljaw, and Ramhorn, emerged from the compartment and pounced on the Decepticon cassettes. As they fought, their masters charged and locked in combat. Blaster saw an opening, kicked Soundwave away, pulled out his gun, and opened fire on the Decepticon communications specialist.

Galvatron suddenly emerged from the swirling mass of airborne Decepticons, firing randomly at any Autobot he got within his sights. Then he spotted the Autobot leader, and he cackled evilly. He brought his cannon arm around and took aim at the red and orange Autobot. At the same time, Cyclonus, Scourge, and the Sweeps leveled their weapons at the young Prime.

"Die, Rodimus!" Galvatron yelled and fired. The others fired in the same instant.

Rodimus had begun to turn around when he'd heard Galvatron's voice. He turned all the way just in time to see what was coming his way and realize that there was nothing he could do about it. His eyes widened in horror, his mouth opening in a scream that never made it to his lips.

The combined blasts from Galvatron, Cyclonus, Scourge, and the Sweeps hit him full in the chest. Unable to withstand such a powerful blow, Rodimus's armor shattered and the blast ripped into his unprotected circuitry. He screamed in agony as excruciating pain swept through his body. Fluids pouring out of his shattered armor, he collapsed.

Magnus's head jerked around when he heard Rodimus's scream. Then he sprinted toward his fallen leader, swatting bots out of his way without caring if they were friend or foe. His only thought was to reach his friend. Autobots scrambled out of his way, but the Decepticons didn't. He blasted them aside with his rifle or body-slammed them out of his way as he bulldozed his way to where Rodimus had gone down. When he finally reached his Prime's side and saw the full extent of the damage, he knew there was no hope.

The blast had gone completely through Rodimus's body, entering just under the Matrix compartment and exiting through his back, taking most of his internals with it. His entire midsection had been blown away. Vital fluids were gushing from the horrific wound, and destroyed circuits spat clouds of sparks. A small fire flared and died somewhere in Rodimus's body. Smoke filled the thin air.

First Aid appeared, dashing toward them. Magnus ignored him, his optics glued to the sight of Cybertron's metal surface visible through Rodimus's body. The medic fell to his knees beside the two Autobots, whipped out a scanner, and ran it over Rodimus's prone form. His expression changed when he saw the results. The medic raised his eyes to Magnus's, his solemn gaze confirming what Magnus already knew.

The wounds were far too severe. Rodimus had already lost too many vital fluids and too much of his vital systems. No one could help him now. It was already far too late.

Rodimus Prime was dying.

**Tbc...**

Wanna know what happens next? I know you do. So click on that little button and send me a review. If you do that, I'll have the next chapter up soon. If you wanna find out what happens to Rodimus you gotta send me a review, or the next chapter will be a long time coming!


	4. Rebirth

Author's Note: Thanks to any and all reviewers who reviewed this fic. Here is the fourth chapter of the story. This chapter might turn out to be short, but I'll see what I can do. 

Disclaimer: Do I really have to repeat myself? I don't think so. You know already. Now on to the story! 

**Transformation**

**Chapter 4: Rebirth**

Rodimus fell backward as excruciating pain flooded through his body. He felt like he was drowning in pain. He could faintly feel vital fluids running down what was left of his chestplate. When he hit the ground, it sent a surge of even worse pain tearing through his already overloaded neural net, and he blacked out. 

In the Matrix: 

The Matrix was in chaos. Another Prime was dying long before he should have. The sparks were in an uproar. They were demanding that Primus do something. Primus was in shock from the suddenness of Rodimus's fatal wounds, so he couldn't concentrate on anything at that point. 

**_"Primus!!!"_**

"What?!" Primus snapped out of his trance-like state and turned to look at the crowd of sparks that surrounded him. They were glaring at him. 

"Do something!" Sentinel Prime yelled. "He can't die!" 

"And just what am I supposed to do?" Primus asked. 

"Heal his wounds!" 

"I am sorry. They are too extensive." 

"Then rebuild him!" 

"As what?" 

There was a general growl of exasperation. Then one of the recent additions to the Matrix, Wheeljack, came forward. 

"Lend us your power and let us do the work!" Wheeljack yelled, waving a handful of schematics and designs at the startled deity. "I have the designs right here!" 

The response was agreement. Primus looked over the crowd, then sighed and loaned them his power. They swarmed out toward the young Prime's shattered body to begin the task of rebuilding it, using the borrowed power to completely alter it. The sheer amount of sparks involved in the work would see that it was done very quickly. 

"His spark cannot be allowed to enter the Matrix," Primus warned. "Someone must meet him outside and prevent him from entering." 

"I will," Optimus Prime volunteered. "I need to speak with him anyway." 

"Then go and meet him. He is coming." 

Optimus nodded and streaked away. 

Rodimus felt like he was drifting through a greyish mist, the real world fading away behind him. He knew that he was going to the Matrix. Then a sudden glow appeared in front of him, and a wave of light shot past him. In its wake, he could hear voices. 

"Ratchet! His neural network and circulatory systems are all yours!" The voice belonged to Wheeljack. 

"This damage is awfully extensive," a strange voice commented. "Show me that diagram and let's get to work." 

"I'll start on his alternate modes," Wheeljack said. "You hook up his suspace connections." 

"Will do." 

"Rodimus?" 

Rodimus turned at the sound of his name. He spotted someone very familiar standing nearby, someone who's death haunted his every waking moment. 

"Optimus?" 

"It's me." Optimus stepped toward him. "You cannot enter the Matrix, Roddy. It is not your time yet. I am here to keep you from entering while the others see to your new body. And I must speak with you." 

"Can you forgive me for what I did to you?" 

Optimus smiled at him, and the smile was visible in his optics. "There's nothing to forgive. It wasn't your fault. You didn't kill me. It was my time to go. The Matrix had been telling me that for months. You did everything in your power to protect me. And you were chosen to succeed me. The Matrix would never choose someone who was a killer. You aren't responsible for my death." 

Rodimus stared at him. "Optimus..." 

"Listen to me, Rodimus. It was my destiny to leave the land of the living, and it was your destiny to take over for me. You are a fine leader. I am very proud of you. You are capable, innovative, and more unpredictable than I was. You may even become a better leader than I ever was. Trust in yourself. I know you can do it. I am always here for you, and I will be watching over you. So far, what I have seen has made me very, very proud of you." 

Rodimus smiled shyly. "Thank you, Optimus. That means a lot to me." 

"We're done!" someone yelled from behind Rodimus. 

Optimus gave him a gentle push. "Go on. The Autobots need you. Go and fight for them... Ultra Rodimus. And remember, you have made me very proud. Now go." 

The renamed Prime smiled at him, waved goodbye, and turned back the way he'd come. Optimus watched him vanish into the mist. 

"How did it go?" Sentinel asked. 

"I think he'll be all right now." 

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 

Ultra Rodimus clawed his way through the mist and dove back into his own body. It felt different. It sang with power. It had been given a serious upgrade. He couldn't wait to see what it looked like. 

He sank back into it, returning his spark to its proper place in his laser core. Then he began warming up his systems. As they came online, he explored his new systems. They were very different than his old body, and he suddenly knew that it had been taken apart, into tiny pieces, and put back together from the skeletal system out. His internal systems had been completely rewired, and he could sense a number of subspace connections, which meant that he had numerous alternate modes. 

_This is gonna be fun._

Awareness. 

**To be continued...**

Thanks for all the feedback from the readers, but you still need to review this chapter before the next one comes out. Feed the authoress, and she'll give you plenty of juicy chapters, until the story ends. So review and I'll post more!


	5. Awakening

Author's Note: Thanks to all those who reviewed this fic so far. Here is the fifth chapter of the story. 

Disclaimer: You already know. Don't make me repeat myself. 

**Transformation**

**Chapter 5: Awakening**

The Autobots turned, alarmed by the cry of anger and pain that Magnus let loose. Then they saw the badly-wounded form of Rodimus on the ground. Sparks were flying from the gaping hole in his chest, and fluids were flooding out of him. His brilliant red and orange color was fading to a dead gray shade. It was obvious that he was already too far gone for any medic to help him. 

Galvatron laughed insanely. Then his laughter was cut off as blinding blue-white light erupted from inside Rodimus's chest. It engulfed him in light. 

"The Matrix!" Magnus breathed. 

Galvatron screamed in rage and lunged at the sphere of light. Magnus intercepted him, flattening him with a powerful right hook. Galvatron staggered and collapsed. Magnus towered over him, fist cocked to slam him again if he made one wrong move in the direction of the orb of blue-white light. Other Autobots converged on the city commander, batting Decepticons out of their way. They formed a protective circle around the brilliant orb of Matrix power. 

"Destroy that sphere!" Galvatron screamed. 

The Decepticons pounced on the Autobots, trying to get past them in order to destroy the sphere. The Autobots fought back, intent on protecting the sphere until they saw what would emerge. They managed to hold the Decepticons at bay until the sphere collapsed. 

"Look!" 

All eyes turned toward the sound of Hot Spot's voice. Even the Decepticons turned to see what had caused that outburst. 

The light had vanished. In its place was a robot. 

The bot was tall, taller than even Magnus, and very slender of build. His armor was light smoke-grey, handsomely patterned with jagged tiger stripes, alternating royal blue and vivid crimson in color. A long, thick silver-white braid hung out from behind him. His build was more humanlike, showing no signs of what his alternate mode might be. His features were very handsome. His armor appeared even more durable than anything any of the assembled Transformers had ever seen. He was unconscious. 

"Wow," Blaster commented. "Cool." 

"Nice look," Skydive agreed. 

"Will he wake up soon?" Eject asked. 

"I will make sure he doesn't wake up at all!" Galvatron lunged at the unconscious form of the reborn Prime. 

Magnus yelled and moved to intercept him, but he was too slow. Galvatron pounced... 

A striped arm shot out, catching him in mid-lunge and backhanding him so hard he flew backward and landed over 100 feet away. He staggered upright and stared as the new bot moved, shifting him weight onto his shoulderblades and then kicking out with his legs, flipping neatly to his feet. Narrow emerald eyes stared Galvatron down. 

Ultra Rodimus straightened, flexing his hands. He looked down at himself, admiring his new build and paint job. He liked what he saw. Then he returned his gaze to Galvatron, and a wicked smile touched his face. 

"Hello, Galvatron," he growled, his voice a deep bass rumble, deeper than it had been. "Wanna play?" 

Galvatron screamed his rage and lunged at the Prime. Ultra Rodimus waited patiently, then lashed out with a powerful kick. Galvatron's chestplate crumpled from the impact. He went flying, landing heavily. 

"Feel like trying again?" 

"Decepticons attack!" 

The Decepticon army charged him. The Autobots tensed to fight. 

The battle was mostly hand-to-hand. Ultra Rodimus produced a massive double-bladed battleaxe and jumped in. There wasn't enough room for him to get a wide enough swing to sever torsos or cut Decepticons in half, but the wickedly sharp blades cut through arms and legs and necks, or bit deep into shoulders and backs. When his target was farther away, he pulled out a rifle and shot them down. The Autobots rallied and began pushing the Decepticons back. Wielding his massive axe, Ultra Rodimus was a force to be reckoned with, or avoided. 

Eventually, even Galvatron could see that they were losing. He gritted his teeth. 

"Decepticons, retreat!" 

The Decepticons were eager to pull out. They extricated themselves from the battle and followed Galvatron away from Cybertron. The Autobot fliers chased them for a time to make sure they kept running, then circled around and returned to Cybertron. 

"Now what?" Magnus wondered. 

"Now I suspect that our resident medics and scientists are itching to get me into the city so that they can give me a full checkup," the striped Prime commented wryly, glancing over at the group, who were wringing their hands eagerly. "We'd better get unside before they start blowing circuits in their eagerness to see what makes me tick." 

That statement was met with laughter and agreement. The Autobots began to swarm around the city, taking stock of the damage. The rest followed their reborn Prime inside. 

In the repair bay, Ultra Rodimus lay back on one of the tables while the medics and scientists ran scan after scan, comparing notes and combining their data. Ultra Rodimus waited patiently for them to finish. 

"I'm amazed by how patient he is," Magnus commented. "Rodimus Prime was never this patient. He hated checkups." 

"All Primes hate checkups," Kup responded. "All but this one, apparently." 

"I noticed. He's a lot calmer than Rodimus was in this situation." 

"What do you make of what he told us? About what happened to him while he was with the Matrix? Do you think what he said is true?" 

"It's the only thing that could explain his transformation. That light was coming from the Matrix. I think he's telling the truth. Otherwise his transformation would not have occurred. So I believe him." 

Ultra Rodimus sat up. "Finished?" 

"For the moment. We will need time to examine the data, and we may need to collect additional readings. Please do not go too far," Perceptor requested. 

The reborn Prime considered that, then lay back on the table, crossing his arms behind his head. Magnus walked over to him. 

"So you have a new name?" 

"Yeah. Ultra Rodimus Prime." 

"Bit of a tongue-twister," Magnus noted. "How about just Ultra Rodimus?" 

"Sounds fine to me." Ultra Rodimus batted a strand of hair out of his face. Magnus touched the thick braid dangling over the edge of the table, then looked over at First Aid. 

"What purpose does this serve?" he asked. 

First Aid looked up. "It doesn't. As far as I can tell, it's just...there. It doesn't seem to have any specific purpose. It's made up of a complex mixture of organic and mechanical components, something the likes of which I've never seen before. It's fascinating. He might need a little help dealing with it, though." 

Spike, standing on top of the monitor beside the table, tilted his head. "My wife Carly can give him some pointers on how to handle his hair. Women are always fussing with it, so if you need advice about what to do with it, ask a woman. I can ask her if she'd like to help." 

"That would be very helpful." 

Magnus lifted Spike down from the monitor. Spike thanked him and headed out of the repair bay, he walked in the direction of the comm center. Magnus lifted the tight braid, fiddling with the end of it. Ultra Rodimus watched. 

"This substance is mind-boggling," Perceptor commented, and Magnus looked up. 

"What substance?" he asked. 

The scientist turned. "The metal that makes up his exo-armor. It is a mixture of the more common metals we use combined with something I cannot identify. The molecular structure is entirely unfamiliar to me. I was not aware such an alloy existed." 

Ultra Rodimus turned to look at him. "Tell me everything you can about it. I'm interested in finding out what this new body is capable of. Remember, I'm the one who has to trust the most in its abilities and strengths. I'd like to know what it can and can't tolerate. That way I won't get into something that's beyond my capacity to handle." 

First Aid nodded. "Good point. At least this version of you has sone common sense." 

Ultra Rodimus snorted and bounced a discarded armor fragment off of the side of First Aid's head. 

Charr: 

Galvatron was pacing furiously, watched nervously by the other Decepticons. Many of them were in Trypticon's repair bay, having severed limbs reattached or gaping wounds closed. Some were so badly wounded that it would take days or weeks for repairs on them to be completed. 

"We were almost victorious!" Galvatron hissed. 

"And then the Prime was reborn and stomped all over us," Scourge grumbled under his breath, and Cyclonus nodded. 

"I will find a way to destroy this new Prime!" the insane Decepticon screamed. 

"It will take several weeks until all the Decepticons are ready to battle again, my lord," Cyclonus cautioned. "Until all the warriors are repaired, we will not be able to survive another counterattack of that magnitude." 

He barely ducked the cannon fire that Galvatron aimed at his head. 

Someone chuckled in the shadows. 

Galvatron turned to find the unseen bot. "Who goes there?" 

"Someone who can help," was the response. 

"Identify yourself!" Galvatron roared. 

"My name is Sixshot." A tall blue and white warrior stepped out of the shadows. "I am universally feared by any robot bearing the Autobot insignia. I can help you kill the Prime." 

The insane leader studied Sixshot carefully. "What makes you so sure you can take him on?" 

"I have yet to meet an Autobot who can withstand my strength. He will fall before me." 

Galvatron laughed. It was an ugly sound. "Then you will tear him apart when next we face him in battle!" 

Sixshot smiled. Galvatron laughed harder. The other Decepticons looked at Sixshot and shuddered, then began planning the next battle in their minds. They wanted revenge for what the Prime had done to them. 

**To be continued...**

Five chapters down, who knows how many more to go. If you wanna know what happens next, you know what to do! 


	6. Clash of the Titans

Author's Note: In this chapter there will be plenty of OOCness for Sixshot. I don't know much about Sixshot, so you can consider this version of Sixshot to be my own variation, rather than me mangling the original character. This chapter will probably be fairly long. The planet of Lysandron and its people are my own creations, so don't think I'm borrowing from someone else. And yes, I know, the title is strange. It spontaneously popped out of my head. 

Disclaimer: As stated above, Lysandron is my creation. Ultra Rodimus belongs to me. You know the rest. 

**Transformation**

**Chapter 6: Clash of the Titans**

Weeks after the battle on Cybertron, the last of the wounded Decepticons was fully repaired and ready for battle. They were eager for a rematch against the Autobots, and ready to deal out some revenge. 

Galvatron had spent the weeks planning (gasp!) what they would do next. Cyclonus had aided in the planning and briefing the others about what they would do. Sixshot had spent the time honing his skills and making certain he was ready to take on a Prime. The various Primes had gained the well-deserved reputation as being stronger and harder to kill than a normal robot. Sixshot believed that the young, inexperienced Prime would be easier to pick off than any of his predecessors, but he still made sure he was in top fighting condition for the coming battle. 

Finally, they were ready. 

Galvatron called the Decepticons together and made a speech, one that had been drafted for him by Cyclonus. "You all have been briefed on your parts in the coming battle. I expect you all to follow orders and not take matters into your own hands. If everything goes according to plan, the Prime will be crushed, the Autobots conquered, and Cybertron ours for the taking. Then we will spread our influence to the rest of the galaxy! We will rule the universe!" 

The crowd erupted into cheering and yelling. The Decepticons were thirsty for blood, and the conquests they were destined for. 

"We go to Lysandron!" 

The Decepticons piled into Astrotrain and into their ships and launched into space. 

Lysandron was mainly a water planet. It had numerous land masses, of which only two were large enough to call continents. The rest were islands that varied in size from only five or so miles across to hundreds of miles in diameter. The planet was populated by an aqueous race of reptilian bipeds. They resembled large lizards that walked on their hind legs, with spiky crests that ran down their necks, beginning between and just above their eyes. The males had short horns over their eyes. They had thick tails that were almost useless on land, but helped propel them through the water. Their hands were slightly webbed, and they had short claws, the remnants of their reptilian ancestry. The Lysandronians were a peaceful people, skilled artists, but not too technologically advanced. 

Which made them the perfect targets for the Decepticons. 

The Decepticons struck the larger of the two continents, wiping out entire villages. When they reached a real city, Galvatron issued his orders. 

"Round them up, but don't kill them! They're the bait! Let one remain loose long enough to call the Autobots for help!" 

The roundup went quickly. The distress call was sent. The Decepticons settled back to wait. 

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 

Cybertron, Iacon City: 

In the weeks since the death of Rodimus Prime and his rebirth as Ultra Rodimus Prime, (his name was shortened to just Ultra Rodimus; they decided that his full name was just too much of a mouthful) the scientists had run scan after scan, test after test, comparing notes and running even more tests. Ultra Rodimus had put up with them patiently, as curious as they were about the secrets of his new body. Finally, after weeks of work, they were ready to report their findings. 

The command group assembled in the meeting room. Perceptor and First Aid were already there, sorting their notes. They waited patiently for the commanders to settle before beginning their report. 

"Our tests have revealed much surprising information," First Aid began. "First, Ultra Rodimus's internal structure has very little to no resemblance to Rodimus Prime's. All his circuit pathways and internal systems are completely different. His skeletal structure is also very different. To us, it looks like he was taken completely apart and overhauled, then rebuilt as a completely different bot." 

"And what is there in him that distantly resembles Rodimus?" Kup asked. 

"The only things that were not changed are his personality core and laser core. They were left alone." 

"That makes sense. Changing them changes his entire personality." 

"Also, his armor is made up of an alloy that no one has ever heard of before." Perceptor turned on the wall monitor, showing the assembled commanders a highly complex molecule. "It is as if his armor was taken apart at the molecular level and altered, then put back together. This new alloy is much stronger than the alloys we use. It is resistant to everything we've thrown at it. This alloy would be very useful, if we could ever find out how to manufacture it." 

"His neural network and sensor net are also far more complex than they used to be," First Aid said, changing the display. "There are circuits we've never seen before, and every system has been upgraded and enlarged. His entire internal structure has become incredibly complex." 

"What about his eyes and hair?" Jazz wanted to know. "No other Transformer has hair, or eyes like that." 

"His hair, as far as we can tell, has no specific purpose. We don't know what it's for." 

"It might be for appearance," Spike pointed out. "His build is more humanoid than robotic. Humans have hair. Perhaps he has it only to complete the appearance. Or perhaps we just don't know enough about it yet. Some of the materials that make up his hair can conduct electric currents." 

"That may be," First Aid acknowledged. "We'll have to wait and see. We also did a thorough scan of his eyes. They are constructed like human eyes, but the pupils serve as focusing lenses for magnification, and as the bases for several types of advanced sensors. His eyes can perform more separate functions than ours can." 

"We were curious about his stripes, so we ran tests on them as well," Perceptor jumped in. "Each one is wired with conductors and receptors. At first we were wondering what purpose they might serve. Then we realized that his stripes are for camouflage. With their current colors, that would be impossible. So he was given the ability to change the color of his stripes by conducting certain amounts of charge through them." 

All eyes turned to Ultra Rodimus. He smiled and demonstrated. His stripes became an eye-hurting clash of neon green and glow-in-the-dark orange. Then he changed the colors so that each stripe was a different color of the rainbow. 

"Interesting effect," Kup noted, blinking. 

"Is he a Transformer?" Springer asked. 

"Yes, he is. Our theory is that when he transforms, he shifts most of his current form into subspace and replaces it with a new form. His slender body shape can accommodate any number of alternate modes. He may be a triple changer, or a multi-changer. We won't know until we see him transform." 

Just then, sirens began to scream, and Blaster received an incoming distress call. 

"The Decepticons have attacked Lysandron!" 

"All Autobots, prepare for battle!" Ultra Rodimus ordered. "Assemble at the spaceport!" 

Within minutes, a swarm of battle-ready Autobots descended on the starport, pouring into the three battle cruisers. The three ships lifted off and headed full-speed for Lysandron. 

Lysandron: 

"Galvatron, Autobot battleships detected," Soundwave reported. 

"Excellent," Galvatron gloated. He glanced at Sixshot. "Are you ready?" 

Sixshot grinned cruelly. "Yes." 

The three shuttles descended through Lysandron's atmosphere, their hulls glowing from the friction. They aimed right for the Decepticons. Once they landed, the Autobots came flooding out, but were stopped short when the Decepticons aimed their weapons at the helpless Lysandronians. 

"Stop right there, Autobots," Galvatron cackled. "Or we shoot them." 

"What is your business here?" Ultra Rodimus snarled. "They are no threat to you!" 

"Of course not! They're the bait to lure you here!" 

The Autobots growled angrily. They didn't like helpless life-forms being used as bait. 

Sixshot stepped forward. "Prime of the Autobots!" 

Ultra Rodimus raised his head and stared down at the Deceticon. "The name's Ultra Rodimus, Decepti-slime." 

The Decepticons growled at the insult, but Sixshot only laughed. "Allow me to intrduce myself. I am Sixshot." 

A shudder ran through the Autobot ranks. Ultra Rodimus turned toward Kup, keeping one eye on Sixshot. "Kup?" 

"Sixshot is a murderous monster," Kup told him. "He has six forms, and no one has ever survived an encounter with him. He is utterly ruthless and cruel. Rumor has it that he collects trophies from his victims. Everyone he's torn apart has been missing parts, usually their heads." 

"And now he's looking to collect a trophy from me." Ultra Rodimus turned back to Sixshot. "Sorry, pal. This time I'll collect a trophy of my own!" 

"I challenge you to a duel," Sixshot announced. "Just you and me. No interference." 

"Accepted." 

Sixshot smiled cruelly and transformed into his armored carrier form, charging the Autobot leader. Ultra Rodimus transformed into a massive 18-wheeler and floored the accelerator. The two charged headlong at each other. 

"They're going to collide!" 

At the last moment, Ultra Rodimus hit the brakes and swerved hard to the right. He skidded seemingly out of control, but the maneuver did what he wanted. His heavy trailer swung around, smashing into Sixshot and flipping him over. 

With a growl, Sixshot returned to robot mode. 

Ultra Rodimus transformed, putting his hands on his hips. "You gotta do better than that." 

Sixshot snarled at him and transformed into his starfighter mode, taking to the skies. He intended to blast the Autobot from above. 

"I think not!" Ultra Rodimus took a running jump and transformed into a sleek, powerful fighter jet. It vaguely resembled a human CF-18, but it was larger, more aerodynamic, and had more firepower. Sixshot shot past him, firing at Ultra Rodimus's underside. A lucky shot sent Ultra Rodimus into a spin, and he crashed into the ocean. 

"He's gonna regret that!" Ultra Rodimus transformed again, dove deep, and powered his way to the surface. 

Sixshot was circling triumphantly when the water became choppy below. There was total silence as everyone watched to see what would happen next. 

The water erupted. 

"Is that a _shark?_" Nosecone demanded. 

The creature was a metal shark, bearing Ultra Rodimus's unique stripes. It leaped out of the water and transformed back into a jet. Two well-placed shots hit the startled Sixshot and grounded him. 

"Go Prime!" the Autobots cheered. 

"How many forms does this guy have?!" Sixshot muttered to himself. He transformed into his ramming-tank mode. Ultra Rodimus strafed him from above, blowing out Sixshot's treads and punching holes in his sides. Both returned to their robot modes. 

Sixshot's optics blazed with mad intensity. He was furious. The Autobot Prime had countered his every move! "I swear I'll destroy you! No one can stand against me!" 

Ultra Rodimus yawned. "Are you through blowing hot air?" 

With a scream of rage, Sixshot transformed into his fourth mode, a huge jet-propelled laser pistol. Before he could orient on Ultra Rodimus, he found himself trapped in thick bonds, unable to move and slowly being crushed. Confused, he looked up and saw that Ultra Rodimus had unveiled yet another animal-based alternate mode. He'd transformed into a massive snake, and held Sixshot in his powerful coils. The huge head hung over Sixshot as Ultra Rodimus began to constrict, tightening his coils, crushing the trapped Decepticon. At the last moment, Sixshot returned to robot form and escaped that death grip. 

Both of them were cut and bleeding in dozens of places. Both were tiring. But neither was willing to back down. They were in a fight to the death. Only the death of one of them would end the fight. 

Sixshot transformed into his fifth mode, a wolf-like creature. He charged Ultra Rodimus, and found himself facing a behemoth of striped metal and snapping jaws. Ultra Rodimus had taken on the form of a massive dinosaur, and his powerful jaws were ready to snap shut on Sixshot. The Decepticon dodged, sinking his teeth into Ultra Rodimus's leg. The Autobot bellowed in agony and snapped at him. Again Sixshot dodged, this time ripping Ultra Rodimus's underbelly open. Ultra Rodimus screamed and jumped, spinning around in mid-jump. His thick tail caught Sixshot squarely in the ribs and flung him a dozen meters away. 

Sensing victory, Sixshot scrambled to all four feet and threw himself at Ultra Rodimus, bloodstained jaws open to tear out his throat. 

Something clamped shut on his forelegs. Sixshot was about to bite off the restraints when something hit him in the back. Something sharp penetrated Sixshot's armor, digging deep into his back. Then terrible pain spread outward from the site of the puncture. 

The restraints opened, dropping Sixshot to the ground. He blinked and looked at his enemy. 

Ultra Rodimus had transformed again. A huge scorpion stood over the dying Decepticon, claws snapping, tail raised over his back. Sixshot looked at that tail and instantly knew what had happened. 

Scorpions were poisonous. Ultra Rodimus had gotten Sixshot with his sting, injecting a lethal dose of venom. The poison was slowly killing Sixshot. 

"Do me a favor," Sixshot gasped out, and the scorpion edged closer to listen. "Give me a clean death, a warrior's death." 

The scorpion waved a claw in acknowledgment. Then Ultra Rodimus transformed back to robot, carrying his huge battleaxe. He swung it back, then brought it down in a powerful blow, neatly severing Sixshot's neck at the base. The Decepticon shuddered once and died. 

Ultra Rodimus leaned on the shaft of his axe, panting heavily. He felt so tired. Blood was pouring out of shot wounds and slash marks and bite marks. He was losing fluids at a steady rate. Instead of walking away, he reached down to pick up the severed head. Then he forced himself to straighten, ignoring the pain that tore through his body, and held the head high. 

The Autobots cheered. The Decepticons shifted nervously. Ultra Rodimus turned toward them, raising his axe, and they decided that enough was enough. They ran. 

Ultra Rodimus collapsed. 

Magnus sprinted to his side, lifting him off the ground. First Aid was next to arrive. He whipped out a scanner and ran it over Ultra Rodimus. 

"Bad. We have to get him back to Cybertron." 

Magnus took the axe, grunting in surprise at the weight. Then he tried to take the severed wolf-head, but Ultra Rodimus had a death grip on it, even unconscious, so Magnus was forced to leave it alone. Then he and several others gently carried the young Prime to the waiting shuttles. 

On Cybertron, it took hours to repair each of Ultra Rodimus's numerous wounds. He still refused to let go of Sixshot's head, no matter how Magnus tried to pry it loose. 

"My guess is that he considers it a trophy of his greatest battle," Spike commented from the top of the monitor. "He won the right to keep it." 

"What will he do with it?" 

"Who knows? But I suspect it'll end up mounted on the wall of either his office or his quarters." 

"Oh." 

While Ultra Rodimus was out cold, First Aid took the opportunity to begin a scan of his various alternate modes. Once Ultra Rodimus was awake and moving around, First Aid had him transform into each of his alternate modes and ran detailed tests on each one. When he finished, he was ready to explain the results. 

**To be continued...**

If you want to know what his alternate modes are and find out the purpose of each one, let me know and I'll get the next chapter up soon! 


	7. Revelations

Author's Note: Don't bite my head off because I killed Sixshot in the last chapter, okay? As I said at the beginning of Chapter 6, you could view Sixshot as my own version of the character, and I needed a strong opponent to pit against Ultra Rodimus. Flames will be used to roast critics, so keep them to yourself. "If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all." 

Disclaimer: You know already. Ultra Rodimus is mine. Everyone else belongs to Hasbro. 

**Transformation**

**Chapter 7: Revelations**

The Autobot commanders filed into the meeting room, eager to hear what First Aid had discovered about Ultra Rodimus's various alternate modes. Ultra Rodimus was already there, leaning back in his chair, propped up by several cushions to take the pressure off his still-unhealed back. His wounds from his duel with Sixshot had been terrible, and would take time to heal. 

"How are you feeling, lad?" Kup asked. 

Ultra Rodimus smiled tiredly. "Miserable, to be honest." 

"At least you can be honest about it. Lots of others wouldn't be so honest about their pain." 

"I prefer being honest. Dishonesty gets me nowhere." 

"So that explains the pillows." Kup nodded at the cushions supporting Ultra Rodimus's body. 

"Those cannons on Sixshot's tank form packed one hell of a punch." 

"And those teeth didn't help matters any," First Aid added. "I had to stuff the guts of Ultra Roddy's dino-mode back in before I could repair him." 

"So, what did you learn about his alternate modes?" Jazz asked. 

"He has several," First Aid began. "He's the most adaptive bot I've ever seen. His truck mode is meant for use in the civilized world. It has a very large cargo capacity, and all-wheel drive. The trailer section contains an entire armory, and three different types of missile launchers." 

"A very powerful mode," Blaster agreed. "What about his jet mode?" 

"It's based on a human CF-18 fighter jet. His jet mode is larger, and more heavily armed. It has a top speed of Mach Nine, and a range of over one million miles. It can't fly in space, but he can transform it into this." First Aid changed the display to show a different craft. It had wings that were raked forward instead of swept back, and its body was covered in heavy armor. Laser cannons and launchers studded its hull. Its engines were large for the hull, and massively powerful. "His third alternate mode is a starfighter. He has the ability to fly interstellar distances and fly faster than the speed of light. His weapons are powerful enough to take a good-sized bite out of a moon if he fires them all at once." 

"When he fell in the ocean he transformed into a shark," Springer pointed out. 

"Well, sharks are the rulers of the ocean, the most dangerous creatures under the waves. His shark mode is wired with extremely sensitive sensors, and his sense of smell is extremely sharp. He can detect an enemy from miles away. Add to that several rows of very sharp teeth and an entire arsenal of underwater weapons, and you get something you really, really don't want to be in the same ocean with. He swims with his tail, but he can use built-in thrusters for bursts of speed when he has to. His shark mode is supremely adapted to underwater warfare." 

"So his animal-based forms are adapted to life in various environments?" Magnus clarified. 

"Yes." First Aid changed the display. "Which brings me to his next mode, his dinosaur mode." 

The screen showed what looked like an allosaur, with the slender body of a runner. Its back bristled with long-range weapons, and it had sharp claws and teeth. Both legs were covered in armor, and its feet were shielded. 

"It has big feet," Sideswipe noted. 

"Yes. The armor increases the surface area of his feet." 

"Why would he need feet that big?" 

"We've all had the annoying experience of being stuck in the mud. His larger foot area prevents him from sinking in soft ground. It will slow him down, but he won't sink. That's why he has those distance weapons. To defend himself before anyone could get close. If anyone does manage to get close, he has his natural weapons to fight with, and his tail can crush an unwary enemy in one blow." 

"Cool." 

"His next mode is a serpent. His scales are made of the same alloy as his battle armor. He has laser guns spaced along his back and head. This mode can move easily through dense forests and swamps. He can strike with lightning speed, and his fangs are poisonous. When he wraps his coils around an enemy, he can literally crush them to death. His coils are so powerful he can crush even a city-bot the size of Fortress Maximus. He moves like a sidewinder, so that only two sections of his body ever touch the ground, but he can slither in a straight line if he has to. Like a pit viper, he can track enemies by sensing their body heat." 

"What about his scorpion form?" Perceptor asked. 

"I wasn't sure what the purpose of that mode was until I took a close look at his legs." First Aid brought up a diagram of Ultra Rodimus's scorpion legs. Each leg ended in three hooked claws surrounding a thick footpad. "There are pneumatic launchers in his lower legs that fire sharp spikes into whatever his foot lands on. Then each spike launches a number of hair-thin spikes into the surrounding material to anchor him. It happens in less than a second. With this system he can climb straight up a vertical surface." 

"So he's a climber." 

"Exactly. And his eight legs allow him to move very quickly. Because he could be a vulnerable target, his armor exoskeleton is very thick, and there is no sensor net inside it. Now look at his tail." First Aid pointed to it. "It's heavily armed, and he can shoot at anything approaching from any direction. If anyone tries to approach from the front, they'll come within reach of claws that can cut an enemy in two with one snap. If the claws don't get them, that tail will. The sting is deadly poisonous." 

"So he's someone no one in their right mind would want to mess with," Jazz translated. 

"Basically." 

Ultra Rodimus chuckled. "Firing those weapons really drains me, though. I can't fire them in rapid succession." 

"That explains why your energy levels were so low after that duel." 

"Yeah. I used up a lot of my energy." 

First Aid made a note on his datapad. "I'll see what I can do about that. Perhaps I can find a way to install a powerpack or energy converter." 

"Thank you." Ultra Rodimus nodded. He shifted position slightly and winced. 

"Still sore?" 

"Hell, yes." The young Prime frowned. "Sixshot got some good hits in. I'll be sore for a few days." 

"What about the Decepticons?"Sideswipe asked. 

"They have problems of their own," Magnus explained with a nasty grin. "While they were watching the duel I had Blurr sneak onto their ships and do a little sabotage work. I doubt we'll have to worry about them for a while yet." 

Ultra Rodimus snorted. "I wasn't aware that you had such a mean streak." 

"I prefer to think of it as being a mischief-causing streak," Magnus corrected with a chuckle. 

"If that's your definition of mischief, I'd hate to see your definition of nastiness." 

Everyone laughed at that. Then Ultra Rodimus lurched to his feet, and Magnus walked over to catch him. 

"I guess that's all the business we have for today," Kup commented, getting up. 

"Dismissed," Ultra Rodimus said. 

The Autobots filed out, still chuckling at what Magnus had done to the Decepticons. The door slid closed behind them. 

**To be continued...**

Up next, the epilogue. Well, what do you think? Good? Bad? Sucked big time? Tell me! 


	8. Epilogue

Author's Note: Here it is. The very end of the story. Tell me what you think about it. 

**Transformation**

**Epilogue**

Galvatron glared out of Trypticon at the barren landscape of Charr. The other Decepticons, knowing that he was in a foul mood, stayed far away and well out of reach. 

Sixshot had lost the battle and had been killed by the Autobot Prime. Another Autobot had sabotaged the ships. The explosives that had been hidden on board had gone off in mid-flight, injuring dozens of Decepticons. Other explosives had gone off when they'd landed, damaging Trypticon himself. Galvatron could hear the huge city groaning in pain. 

Insane rage filled Galvatron's mind, searing him, burning him from the inside out. He let it fill him, reveling in it. His optics blazed with hatred as he stared in the direction of distant Cybertron. 

"I will destroy you, Ultra Rodimus!" he suddenly screamed, startling everyone in hearing range and making them scatter like turbo-rats scenting a cyber-wolf. Optics reflecting the madness that had engulfed him since Unicron's death, Galvatron glared furiously at the tiny star that Cybertron distantly orbited. 

"I will destroy you if it's the last thing I ever do!!!" 

**Fin.**

So, what do you think? Did you like it? Hate it? Think I should shove it down the toilet? Click that button marked review and let me know what you think of this fic! 


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